Blerditorial: The DADT Repeal & Keeping It Honest

The biggest news of the past weekend was the vote to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military. It’s obviously a controversial move, and I applaud the Senate for doing the right thing. I posted an article on this a while back, and probably should take this opportunity to clarify my position.

People have the right to live their lives as they see fit so long as they’re not hurting anyone else. I don’t choose to make a spectacle of my sexual orientation, but at the same time, I’d probably bristle (or at the very least, be unhappy) if I were put in a situation where I had to lie about it. Regardless of what situation these men and women find themselves in, they should have the opportunity to be open and honest about their lives if they choose to share it.

I read a Twitter post a couple of days ago asking something to the effect of “would it make people uncomfortable to fight next to a gay soldier?” Let’s be real here. There are plenty of closeted gay and bisexual men and women in the world. How idiotic is it to think that there aren’t already gay and bisexual men and women currently serving in the military? And how idiotic is it to think that there aren’t gay and bisexual veterans? Go to any gay pride parade in a major city and I guarantee you that there will be a sizable contingent of LGBT vets. Sexual orientation has no bearing on patriotism or the ability to fire a fucking gun.

My only worry is that in the event that these soldiers face any kind of harassment or violence from their colleagues, that there will be some sort of cover-up. Call me a conspiracy theories or a cynic, if you will, but it’s very obvious that our military has not done the greatest job of being transparent with the public, and I hope that if any of our soldiers face any kind of discrimination from the peers or superiors once the repeal has been signed off by President Obama, that justice will be served.

Progress may not always come as quickly as it should come, but, eventually it comes. This is a major step for the gay and lesbian community, and it’s a big step for us as a society.